Strengthening Mother and Child Healthcare through Community initiatives

Background

Nearly 80% of Bijapur district’s population is tribal. This includes various communities such as Mahar, Halba, Gond, and Telanga. These tribes and communities have different customs and traditions that influence healthcare practices of mothers and children. In order to address the negative effects of such practices, the following initiatives were undertaken:-

Intervention

Stakeholder Engagement:

Saas Bahu Sammelans were organised in Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) to enable open discussion with women from various communities regarding their customs, traditions, and beliefs and to educate them about self-care, nutrition, health, and hygiene.

Infrastructure and Capacity Building:

Model AWCs were constructed to make them more accessible, hygienic, safe, and attractive. In addition, Anganwadi workers were trained to deliver better services and build relationships with beneficiaries.

Mass Campaigns:

Hand Wash campaigns were conducted to educate mother and child of 6-step WHO hand wash process.

Impact

These initiatives have led to a 68% increase in institutional deliveries, and a significant decrease in malnutrition levels, maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate. Additionally, malnutrition levels among 0-12 month old children has decreased by 17% change and among 12-24 month old children about 8%. Attendance of 3-6 year old children at AWCs has increased. Lastly, community participation in various programmes organised by AWCs has increased. 

Source : Aspirational Districts for WEB